Read this well, Please!!

Become a better negotiator… ( I know it looks like a lot to read, but read it slowly. Soak it in. For me, this rang true! )


What I am referring to here are “choices”..all day long we are negotiating with ourselves in regards to behavioral choices. Some are driven by our biology, some by our responsibilities, some by our discipline. For example… it’s 5am, you are laying in bed, it’s cold outside, you are tired, you want to sleep another hour, but… you know that getting up and running or working out is what you should do, the negotiating begins…” I can run later, but if I run now I will feel better, I ran yesterday, my knees hurt so it’s better I take today off, the dialogue goes on until either you get up or you don’t….later In the day you are in the office and it’s someone’s birthday, there is a cake, you are hungry..everyone meets in the conference room and they hand you a piece of cake..that everyone is eating..you..do what?..the negotiating begins..not take it..and have to explain..take it, eat it, take it and fake eating it…choices..:)……later in the day you go to the gym, a successful negotiation..but..you don’t feel like pushing it 100%, the negotiating begins, you get the picture…what happens is that our choices add up, like a bank, and we are either making net deposits or withdrawals..so what to do?..first you have to dial into that negotiating process and identify that it is going on..then…create a plan for when this begins…it can be as simple as using positive reinforce, negative reinforcement or both…in other words ..what good things will happen if…what not so good things will happen if…what is the short term result of …what is the long term result of…etc…you have to determine what your motivating factors are and use those in the negotiating process. Quite often your mind and body will fight, the “right” decision..and instinctively, you are a good negotiator on the short term gratification side…very good in fact…so..you have to get good at negotiating against it…so..now is the time to become a better negotiator…

(courtesy Tom Richardson from Tight Curves Nutrition)